


Investigation Intervention

by KatydidWrites



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-05
Updated: 2016-08-05
Packaged: 2018-07-29 10:09:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,116
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7680331
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KatydidWrites/pseuds/KatydidWrites
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Peridot has a plan, but it isn't working, and it’s stressing her out. Canon-compliant up to and set just after "Too Short to Ride." Some fluff, some angst, some Amedot.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Investigation Intervention

It was a beautiful, clear day. Blue sky, light breeze, fluffy clouds, and for some reason-- no Lapis or Peridot in sight. As Steven walked towards the barn, he could hear muffled banging and Peridot's clipped, precise voice echoing out through the door. 

"Log date: irrelevant. Number of days since discovering my telekinetic power: nine. Commencing test two hundred and forty three. Eeeeeeeeeeee-hnnnnnnnnngh."

"Steven. You're here," said Lapis from just inside. "I'm going flying. Please-- make her stop." The blue gem's wings unfurled, graceful and translucent, as she beat a hasty retreat.

"Heyyyyyy Peridot, how's it going?" The green gem was crouching on the barn floor, in profile to Steven, with her arms clasped tightly around her knees. She quivered with effort from her heels to the triangle point of her hair. 

"If you are referring to my investigation of my newfound power, it is progressing in an orderly yet unsatisfactory matter."

"Oh. It was more of a general how-are-you question. But that's too bad. What's wrong?"

"I am unsure. I thought I had designed a foolproof training plan for myself, but there are simply too many extraneous variables involved. For example, I began by attempting to translocate a variety of small objects for set distances. This let me to conclude that my power functions mainly in conjunction with metallic objects. Then I experimented with directional vectors, which led me to conclude that I am able to shift objects in any direction, without respect to local gravitational forces."

Peridot was pacing back and forth at this point amid a field of wreckage-- empty paint cans, bits of machinery left over from the drill construction, scrap metal, and a number of other items she'd clearly liberated from the house in the name of scientific research. So that's where the toaster went, Steven thought. 

"But after that, it went to pieces! I've been working nonstop, but I haven't been able to build a case for any further hypotheses! At this rate, I'll never--"

Peridot didn't even seem to notice when Steven ducked out of the barn. "I'm going to get one of the gems! We'll be right back, I swear," he called over his shoulder. 

\---

"Yo, P-dot, what's up? Nice mess. How's it feel moving stuff with your magic brain? Steven said something about you being worried and your experiments not working out, which sounds like nerd stuff to me. Anyway, Connie called him about a new book and he headed over to her place, so, it looks like it's just us."

"Hnnnnnngh," said Peridot, not averting her gaze from the rusted half-tractor near the back of the barn. It shuddered slightly, and she sagged closer to the floor. 

"Hey, you don't look so good. What's going on here? Spill."

Peridot continued to concentrate firmly on the tractor until her line of sight was blocked by some dark fabric and an expanse of purple-- oh, it was Amethyst. Crouching directly in front of her. With her hands resting on the shorter gem's shoulders. Peridot snapped her eyes upward.

"Peri, are you okay?"

"I'm perfectly adequate, thank you. I'm merely frustrated that my attempts to better understand and utilize my telekinesis have not been more successful." Peridot would never admit it aloud-- not even in a log-- but now that Amethyst had distracted her from her objective, the quartz's hands were the only thing holding her up. Once again she wondered how a gem so small could be so strong. 

"So that's why you've been holed up in here since the trip to Funland? But look, Peri, it's only been a week. I bet you'll have this ish figured out in no time."

"Negative. It's been one "week" and two additional "days" already. This is taking too long! I am still unable to pinpoint whether different classes of metals require more effort on my part, how exactly my distance from the object in question affects its trajectory, the minimum and maximum mass I can manipulate--" Peri pulled away from the other gem, overbalanced, and ended up on her back. On the floor. 

Amethyst pulled her easily up to standing. "P-dot, you need to take a chill pill."

"A what?"

"You need to relax. Get some rest. What's your hurry, anyway? This is a brand new power-- of course you won't figure it all out right away." 

"Amethyst, figuring things out right away is my function. Assimilating new skills, learning new technology-- that's what peridots are for. That's all that we're for." Peridot was pacing again. Amethyst picked up a paint can absently and swallowed it, watching in fascination..

"So, what, if you don't learn new stuff right away you get in troooouble? Don't be such a square. Like I said, relax."

Peridot stopped directly in front of her. "You don't get it, do you? Any peridot which can't rapidly and independently master new functions is defective, and defective gems are-- shattered. So no, I will not relax."

Amethyst spat out the second paint can. Then she started pulling it apart into strips, eyes on the ground, like those weathered floorboards were the most interesting thing in the world. She managed a quick look up at her friend. 

"I'm sorry, Peri, I didn't know. It's not- it's really not like that here. I promise."

"I know," said Peridot, but she didn't stop shaking. 

"Do you, uh, do you want a hug?"

A hug. That was what the gems did with Steven, when he was sad or when they hadn't seen him in an hour or sometimes for no discernible reason at all. Peridot nodded. 

It felt-- better. It felt like Amethyst's hands on her shoulders, but all around. Much warmer, though of course cold didn't bother her. 

"I meant it, what I said before. At Funland. I like-- we all like you because you're you, nerd, not because of any technology or powers. I mean, this kinesis thing is cool and all, but it's really just a bonus. This place isn't like Homeworld-- it's okay to screw up. It's okay to make a mess, and not have your stuff figured out. And hey, I should know."

"It's true," said Peridot. "You Crystal Gems seem to proceed quite frequently without a plan, and I still like you."

"Aw, man," said Amethyst, "and here I thought you still hadn't warmed up to Pearl."

"I have not. I was referring to you, specifically."

"Oh," said Amethyst, blushing purple. "Um. You want to come up to the house for a break and watch TV? Pearl and Garnet are on a mission and it's kind of lone-- boring. You can keep going with your experiments later."

"That would be acceptable," said Peridot. "Thank you."

"Anytime."


End file.
